Statistics say that Chetan Bhagat is the most sold Indian author now. I am so very happy for him!! But I am not too sure as to how many of them have truly understood his books. Take Mighty Mayawati's latest brainwave! She has put forth a case of Quadra-fucation of UP. Definitely a bad hangover after reading (or hearing about??) CB's 2 states!!! Chetan Bhagat better run for cover!! Controversies these days seem to be the birth right of all celebrities. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a hue and cry that Chetan Bhagat's 2 states has influenced her decision!!

Okay. Enough kidding.

Mayawati has announced her decision to split UP into 4 smaller states, after having "obtained clearance" from her "Cabinet". Yeah right. If there was a cabinet and if there were ministers who would disagree with her. What nonsense! Am wondering what the Iron Man of India would be thinking if he were alive now. He toiled hard to get India unified and now he is seeing his work being dismantled systematically. Telengana, Gorkhaland, now 4 for UP... spare a thought for the kids learning Geography!! And what about us the quizzers who love to keep every google-able detail in our brains?? Mayaji, at least ensure that the names of the states being planned have a pan-India flavor.. We in south India will have trouble pronouncing Paschimmanchal and are bound to confuse with Poorvanchal and Uttaranchal!

Brr...Czechoslovakia seems so easy!!

Go Occupy

Occupy your mind that is. Austerity measures is the new karma for Governments all over the world.(You know what Karma is.)Greece and Italy have new goverments. Euro is on a shaky ground. Crude is on a high and the stock exchanges are melting.Above all, the US is seeing an unprecedented movement. The Occupy movement. US folks are asking the Wall street to cut down their golden parchutes and handshakes for the sake of bringing the cost down.

As usual the greatest, top most selling writer of our times, Ms. Arundhati Roy has spoken supporting the movement.Imagine, Ms.Roy delivering such a lecture when our Indian economy is booming, well for the wrong reasons. Inflation is on the stairway to heaven while the dollar is appreciating against the rupee to the great happiness of all my onsite friends :) Unfortunately, it does have a dark side to it. The government is Stuck in a moment it cannot get out of. But, the show must go on. The only way to over come this is to be Comfortably numb.

A Momentary lapse of reason from the Goverment has sent the inflation sky high, adding Another brick in the wall to the common man's life. The delicate sound of thunder is Echoeing on The Wall as the Division bell of the classes is clearly sounded. While we suffer silently, all those Smooth Criminals are attaining Nirvana. Its true that They dont really care for us.But remember, We are the champions and we will rock you pretty soon! Try as you might to Beat it down, The Moment is not far away.

Get over it you biggies, these are Money for Nothing. The change is now Blowing in the Wind.Its a Brave new World out there as We are the Brothers in Arms who have no Fear of the dark. The Final Count down has begun to Run Free on the Open Road, to Change the World.

This is it!Lets come together to stop them from taking the Highway to Hell, after all its a One World!

{Just for fun :) :) :)}

Latte, Espresso, Cappuccino and Filter Kaapi

It was a HUGGE surprise when our company decided to replace its old powder based coffee and hot (milk based) bevarages vending machine with  "branded" Cafe Coffee Day machines. The highlight? Freshly ground coffee bean based Latte, Espresso and Cappuccino and fresh milk to go with it!!

All of a sudden the exciting aroma of ground coffee is permeating our module. Paper cups got replaced with Stylish Mugs. The coffee break timings are reprogrammed as "As we come into office", "one hour before lunch", "one hour after lunch", "snack time coffe" and "just as we leave".

Each break has us flaunting a cappuccino or a latte or an espresso. Adventurous few did try mixing coffee and tea!! Well you can't blame them right? If we mix coffee and chocolate and call it as Chococcino or Mocha, guess CofTea is acceptable too!

This has been in practice for a good month and a half now. This is when the flavor gets used to and you are tired of telling your friends that "Oh I just had my double espresso coz its a night out today". Today, I honestly needed that shot and that is when I realized something:

Latte : This is nothing but Milk coffee, typically given to 5-6 years old in Tambram household

Cappuccino: A slightly stronger coffe where the Coffee "Dicoction" goes in first and milk is added next. Given till we reach college.

Espresso: Lol this is the best. Known as "Kattan Kaapi" in Downsouth TN and Kerala, a "Dicoction only" kaapi which is taken by people who cannot afford milk!!

Just not able to stop smiling at my cup of Double espresso + Milk .. ohh sorry.. my Double strong Filter Kaapi.

I'm loving it!

Divide and Rule comes to Haunt us back!!

The black patch that our Cricket team is going through brings back very old memories of how our earlier captains were welcomed with "Chappal Mala" et al. Though the things are not so bad this time around, the definitive whacking we received from our colonial enemies is a rude slap on our face. The England tour

of 2011 has laid bare the fact that we lack a quality fast bowling department. Agreed our batsmen also failed fantastically. But it was the bowling department which allowed the English to mount unsurmountable scores for a Sehwag-less India.

Well our depleted bowling attack can also be blamed on the British. They have depleted our nation of the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. And the run machine Yousuf Youhana or should I call him Mohammed Yousuf? As I was reading Shoaib Aktar's claims that Sachin was afraid of facing him, I wondered what a team it would have been if were an undivided India!! The divide and rule and partition has literally come back to haunt us. Imagine a team line up with Sachin, Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Gauti, Dhoni, Yousuf youhana, Kumble, Saqlain mushtaq, Wasim Akram, Waqar younis, zaheer khan (12th Man) and bench consisting of Raina, Yuvraj, Afridi, Harbhajan ......

This would have been the world's super team. The British sure had a lot of forward thinking done!!

Well if wishes could be horses...

August Kranti

Only a life lived for others is worth living - Albert Einstein.

Anna Hazare. You can like him, hate him but cannot ignore him. Will Anna Hazare be the person who brings down Dr.Manmohan Singh? Honestly, I am waiting for Dr.MMS to drop his facade and say: "Enough is Enough. I am sick of being a person who can make no decision". What else can you expect from our ageing Prime Minister? I felt angered when Loh Pursuh LK Advani called Dr.MMS a weak PM. The whole nation was aghast when this tirade went on. But now, the entire nation says in unsion that our PM is not the person we expected him to be.

In the past 48 hours, the Central Government has come across as being powerful, authoritarian, confused, afraid, and stupid in front of world's second most populous nation. The Government has tried every trick in its bag to prevent Anna Hazare's movement, with little success. Had it ignored Anna Hazare and let him begin his fast, this movement might have fizzled out. No, they never learn from past mistakes. They made Baba Ramdev a hero by scooping down on his protest and now they have made Anna Hazare a Goliath, with the heart of David!

But unlike Baba Ramdev, Anna's protest is seeing unprecedented support from public, on its own. It is heart warming and totally shocking to see that the "Aam Admi" (this word being the only success of UPA) support swell for Anna and his team. All of us are feeling the effect of a corrupt system. We never raised our voice as we had our lives to lead.

No change is possible unless there are sacrifices. We need not look beyond our own struggle for freedom. We all know that Corruption is rampant and we have come to accept it as a way of our lives. The powers that be have also ensured that we live in a country where action against a corrupt minister takes years to come where as Police action against an activist can happen in 3 minutes. Irony is that both are lodged in the same prison. So, basically we are 1) Afraid to dirty our hands 2) Lack that conviction to see things to its logical end and 3) Lack that guidance for fighting against the system.

Now that Anna Hazare has emerged as that leader, the Government is in a fix. This government appears to be the most corrupt one since Independence and that must be rankling high on their minds. With the leader, starts a movement and with the movement starts a following. In the new age, Twitter trending shows the popularity of a person or an incident and certainly Anna Hazare seems to be red hot, so hot that the Government cannot handle. The Delhi Police must be at its wits end having to act as errand boys for the power corridors.

Maybe the Jasmine Revolution has reached Indian shores. This is not what our country needs. Dr.MMS should take moral responsibility for what is happening. I cannot believe this is the same person who gave economic freedom to India is now stifling the right to lead a corruption-free existence. Well, if things have come to this level, then Dr.MMS is surely responsible for this fiasco. Cutting up of the Indian Melon aka the License Raj has enabled corruption to take strong roots in India. Being the architect of our economic freedom, Dr.MMS is also responsible for its side effect: Rampant Corruption. I am sure after this term gets over (hopefully soon), Dr.MMS will come out with an autobiography or an authorized biography stating how helpless and singled out he was in all his decisions and that given a chance might like to redo or undo certain decisions.

Its things like these make me believe in proverbs like No use crying over spilt milk etc. Like Russel Peters says: "Some body gonna get real hurt today. Be a Man" Its time that our ruling powers wake up and face the nation like Men. If you are so sure of your decisions, dissolve the government, take moral responsibility for huge corruption in the country, cleanse your party and face fresh elections with relatively cleaner candidates. If you come out honest, we will support you too.

Quid pro quo. Game?

Till then, its high five to Team Anna. I think he is now following Gandhiji's words: Be the Change you want to see.

PS: This protest has not caused any problems in the stock market, Infact, Sensex has gone up by 110 points today. So our India Story is unshakable just that the side effects are starting to kick in big time!